personalized home decor. fun and cozy apparel. all made with a whole lot of love.
Your home should feel like you. Your closet should feel like you. Your classroom decor, coffee mug, holiday decorations, car decals, laptop stickers – should all feel like you. Whether you’re on the hunt for a unique gift for a loved one or refreshing your favorite t-shirt drawer, I’m here to help you find the perfect piece.
about me
I’m Dani, the one-woman show behind The Anchor & Bird. I’ve been a “creative type” for as long as I can remember – from arts & crafts summer afternoons on my grandparents’ porch, an adolescence as a performing arts kid, a poetry degree, and a handful of elementary school classrooms, to my free time as an adult – I was always creating *something*. I love being able to bring a vision to life, and I love even more when I’m able to create something unique and personalized for you.
When I’m not crafting, I can be found sipping coffee and reading, hanging outside with our dog, catching a live music performance, trying local breweries with my husband, or watching sports…and almost always wearing something yellow. I love to travel, especially when I get to visit friends, and I’m a sucker for midsize cities, rugged coastlines, foodie destinations, and quiet mountain lakes. I’m originally from central New York, but my life as a military spouse has meant that I’ve left a little bit of my heart in lots of different places. Currently, I’m based in the Seacoast region of New Hampshire – but our adventure is always ongoing and bringing us to new and exciting spots to explore.
about the shop
The seeds for The Anchor & Bird were planted at a crafting event where a group of friends and I tried our hands at string art for the first time. I immediately loved it, and started making more string art pieces as a hobby. We moved across the country later that year, and I found myself wanting to create some decor to represent all the places we had lived so far. A few trips to the craft store and a few encouraging words from my husband and friends later, I started making plans to open an Etsy shop. In June of 2018, The Anchor & Bird opened up to the world, and I could not be prouder of what I’ve created over the years since then. In addition to my home decor and artwork, I often found myself making things for friends – a personalized tumbler and bachelorette party t-shirts here, baby shower gifts and teacher mugs there – and began the process of opening a second Etsy shop for my non-home-decor pieces. The Anchor & Bird Apparel opened in September 2021 with a handful of t-shirts, snarky decals and stickers, tumblers, and so much more. It’s been a wild and wonderful ride, and I’m so grateful for every minute of it.
Here, you’ll find everything I make all in one place, plus a glimpse into my creative processes, behind-the-scenes peeks into the studio, shopping and gift guides, and – let’s be realistic, probably some photos of my dog. Welcome to The Anchor & Bird. I’m so glad you’re here.
Photos by the always lovely Ali Lou Photography